Improvement in track-clearers



UNITED STATES PATENT y OEEIGE IRA H, SOHELL, OF CLAY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRACK-CLEARERS.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 173,818, dated February 2.2, 1876; application filed December 11, 1875.

To all lwhom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, IRA H. SGHELL, of the town of Clay, in the county of Onondaga, in

, the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Re- `moving Snow from Railways, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in that `class of machines which gather the snow` from the track in front'of the machine and `elevate it upon an inclined plane to an ele` `vated platform or chute, where it is carried `to the side of the track.

`It consists, principally, in'hinging or pivoting the frame of the elevator to a car in such a manner as to allow the saidframe to be elevated at the front end and depressed at the rear end, for the purpose of rendering an p elevator of extensive length capable of passing through covered bridges and tunnels, and also for the purpose of bringing the ordinarysnow` `passing through bridges 4and tunnels, also, in the combination, with the elevator, of al se-` ries of breakers or picks on cross-bars attached at their ends to the endless elevator chain or belt, whereby ice and heavy snow can be brokenupf and elevated upon `the inclined plane; also, in an improved mode of operating the machine by an engine located inthe rear portion of the car which carries the machine, and independent of thepower which propels the machine on the track, for

-the purpose of obtaining perfect control ofthe operation of the machine, allconstructed subA istantiallyas hereinafter fully described.

`In the accompanying drawing, Figure l. is

, `2li-perspective view'of my invention, with the -side of the car removed to show the position of the engine `which operates the machine; Fig. 2,\a rear view, showing the construction ofmy lmproved transversecarrier; and Fig.

3 a view of the machine in position for passing through bridges or tunnels.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the elevator, having the usual carriers m m attached to endless chains c, which are driven by chain-wheels on a shaft at the suinmit of the plane. l is a gear-wheel on the end of a shaft extending across the elevator under the plane at a point opposite the shaft to which the elevator is hinged. The first-mentioned shaft drives the shaft of the chainwheels aforesaid by gears, endless chains or belt, which is optional, and not shown in the drawing. 2 is a shaft rigidly secured to the top of the front end of the car, to which shaft the elevator is hinged. Upon one end is a loose pinion, 3, which serves as` an auxiliary gear between the gear-wheel 1 and wheel 4, the latter of which is rigidly attached to the end of the counter shaft o, which passes through the c ar O. To the outer ends of the shaft of the `chain-wheels at the summit of the plane are rigidly attached the gear-wheels 5, which "meshiintoy shifting-pinions 6 on gudg eons secured tothe side of the elevator-frame. 7 is a bevel-gear, cast on the side of the pinion 6. 8 are beveled-gear wheels on the end of the shafts which operate the transverse carrier. Back of the pinion 6 are turnbuckles loosely secured in groovesin the hub of said pinion, and connected by a cross-bar, 9, eX- tending across the top of the elevator. l0 is a lever, pivoted to a cross-plate on the eleva tor, and at the front end with thccross-bar 9.

The other end-extends across the top of the1 transversecarrier to a point` most convenient forth(J operator. By means of this lever and its connection with the turn-buckles, as descrbed,.thegears 7 are thrown in and out of gear with the wheels 8,'and the cross-bar 9 is of such length that' the said wheels on one side will not become engaged until those at the opposite side are released; `By changing the connections from one side to the other the movement of the transverse carrier is reversed and caused to cast .the `snow to the opposite sideof the track. The chute or troughof the `transverse carrier D-is open on top and on its,

side Where connected with the elevator.` The snow enters through the side opening and falls upon the bottom ofthe chute, from whence-it is carried or scraped out =to the ends of the chute by cross-bars attached to endless chains, which are moved by chain-wheels on the shafts of the bevel-wheels S, before described. The bottom of the chute is slightly curved upward at the ends, and the gearingfrom the elevator to the transverse carrier is of such proportions as to considerably accelerate the speed of the latter. This forces the snow inv the direction indicated by an arrow in Fig. 2, and casts it a greater distance from the track than those conveyers which carry the snow by the top scrapers over downward-curved ends. The chute is hinged at the top of its side tothe top ofthe elevator, so that when the latter is depressed at the rear end the former can be carried out at the bottom, as shown in Fig. 3, and allow the elevator to be further depressed.

For the purpose of rendering the' machine capable of casting the snow a greater distance from the track, and at the same time enable it to pass through bridges and tunnels, the chute of the lateral carrier is made of two sections, s, having their joint crosswise at or near the center of the chute, and provided with stiff plates p on the bottom and sides, fastened to one ofthe sections, and sliding in-grooves on the other section. When the elevator is in an operative position the chute is extended, as

shown in Figs.' l and 2, and when depressed at the rear and dormant, the wheels 8 become disconnected from the wheels 7, and the chute is allowed to be contracted in length.

. h' is a cable or chain attached to the rear end of the elevator, and passing to the interior of the ear c, where4 it may be connected with a drum or windlass, and, if necessary, extended through the front end of the car to the front end of the elevator-frame. By means of this cable or chain the elevator is raised and lowered at the ends, as before described. E represents an ordinary steam-engine, placed in the rear portion of the car to counterbalance the elevator hinged to its front end. This engine is suitably connectedto revolve the lcounter-shaft o, which carries the-gear 4 at its outer end, and thus furnishes the power for operating the machine. B is an ordinary snowplow attached to the front of the car, 'which can be brought into operation when light snow 'is encountered by raising the elevator infront,

as before described. b b are bars provided with teeth or picks, a'nd secured to the endless chains c c of the elevator, back of and close to the carriers m m, so as to receive support from them in their Vpassage around the end vof the plane. By means of these breakers ice and heavy snow can be broken up.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to lsecure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a machine arranged to convey the `snow from the track to the `top of a car, by

scraper or carrier 'moved up an inclined plane by endless chains, the elevator A, hinged or pivoted to a car i-n such a manner as to allow its front end to be raised, and its rear or upper end to be depressed, substantially'as described, for the purpose specified.y

2. The combination, with the car c, of the shaft 2, attached to the top of the car at or near the front end thereof, and the elevator A hinged at the under side ot' its frame some distance from its upper end to the shaft 2 aforesaid, lconstructed substantially as described and shown, for the purpose set forth.

'3. In combination with the elevator of a machine for removing snow from railways, a

transverse carrier, attached at its side to the upperend ofthe elevator, and having its chute open on top and on its side, where connected with the elevator, and the bottom of said chute slightly curved upward 'at the ends, and provided with cross-bars or -scrapers movedkupon the bottom by endless chains driven at an accelerated speed by gearing connected with the gearing of the elevator, as and for the purpose specified. I

4. In combination with the elevator A, the transverse carrier D, hinged at the top of its side to the upper end of the elevator-frame, and having its chute open on top and on, its side where connected with the elevator, and constructed of the two sections s s, provided with platesp attached t'o one of the sections, and sliding in grooves on the other section, substantially as described' and shown, for the purpose set forth. y l

5. The combination, -withthe elevator A, of the, breakers b, attached to the endless chains c back of and near to the carriers m, constructed substantially as and for the purpose described and shown.

6. The combination of the engine E, situate in the rear portion ofthe car c, and independ-4 entof the propelling-power, and connected with the counter-shaft 0, the gear-wheel4, pinion 3, wheels l and 5 and their intermedidiate gearing, and the elevatorA, all constructed ,and combined.l to operate substan tially as described, for the purpose specified.,

^ 7. The herein-described improved machine for removing snow from railways, consisting of the car c, provided with the snow-plow B,

and carrying theengine E in oneend, suitably connected with the counter-shaft o at or near the upper corner of the opposite end, the

.wheel 4 on the outer end of the counter-shaft o, wheel 3 on shaft 2, attached on top of the car, elevator A, hinged to shaft 2, wheel l on a A shaft passing through the elevator-frame, and suitably connected to drive the shaft of the upper chain-wheels, wheels 5 on the outer ends of the last-mentioned shaft 5 pinions 6 sliding on gudgeons attached to the elevator-frame, and having bevel-gears 7 cast on their fronts;

bevel-gears 8 on the end 0f the shafts of the.. chain-wheels in the transverse carrier; the

transverse carrier D, hinged at the t'op of its side to the upper end of the elevator-frame, and having its chute open on top, and 0n its imei@ sa the ends, and Scrapers moved over the -bottom by endless chains passing around chain- Wheels driven by gears 8; the cross-bar 9,

having turn-buckles on its ends clasping thev hubs of pinions 6; lever 10 and breakers b,

attached to the endless chains c of the elevay tor back of and close to .the carriers m, and

the cable or chain h, all constructed and combined to operate substantially as described and shown, for the purpose'setvforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed lmy name and affixed my seal in the presence of two attesting'witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, this 4th day of December, 1875.

IRA H. scHELL. [L s] Witnesses E. LAAsE, CHRISTIAN HoLMs'rRUP, J r. 

